How to make your food brand more sustainable

Whether you’re an established café, or have created your own takeaway service during the pandemic, making your brand as sustainable as possible should be your top priority. 

But how can you make your brand more sustainable? Well, in this guide, we’re highlighting five tips to get you started. 

Use local produce 

The less distance your ingredients need to travel, the more sustainable you can be. Carbon emissions from transportation of goods can comprise an environmental impact you’ve not taken into consideration before. By using local produce for your food service, you cannot only give your local economy a little boost, but also reduce your negative impact on the environment. 

Follow a seasonal menu

Creating a menu of delicious meals that follow what’s in season can be a great way to be that little bit more sustainable. Picking out-of-season goods means there will be major downsides for the environment, as they will either be artificially produced, or transported long distances to reach you. Thankfully, no matter what time of year it is, there are always delicious fruits and veggies in season. Creating a seasonal menu allows you to experiment with new flavors while keeping costs down and reducing your carbon footprint.  

Upgrade your packaging

Whether you do takeout meals or just coffee to go, have you thought about which types of disposables you’re using? Recyclable food packaging is much easier, and cheaper to come by now – meaning there’s no excuse. As long as you’re encouraging your customers to properly recycle, you’ll be improving your business’s sustainability with this quick switch. Plus, it’ll give your customers a good impression of your brand, as consumers are always on the lookout for brands that reflect their own social and environmental values. 

Donate your waste

While getting major supermarkets to donate their unsold food is a major battle, smaller businesses should definitely be paving the way. If you’re finding you’ve got a lot of food waste at the end of the day, or can’t get through ingredients before their best before date, why not donate them? Homeless shelters and charities will be more than happy to take them off your hands, and you could be helping to feed someone really in need. 

Alternatively, composting your waste can ensure you stay sustainable. 

Go organic

Nobody really wants to think about all the pesticides and fertilizers that covers their food. And since none of us really benefit from the taste of these chemicals, take them out altogether. Those that can afford the few extra pennies should always opt for organic fruit, veg and meats wherever possible. Other produce is often created as quickly as possible in order to boost turnover profits, but at what cost to the animals and the farmers doing things old school?

Going sustainable may require a little investment. But with the concept becoming widely practiced across all industries, it’s much easier to make the little switches than ever before. Even finding just two or three ways to be more sustainable can make a big difference.

Source